bishop's Court, that it was decided to be better to leave the town. During the month preceding the departure from New Ross, four dramatic pieces were presented publicly; and at the last of these the townsfolk and the scholars, even the Protestants, expressed their regret in the sincerest way. Most of the towns in the Kingdom deplored the closing of the school, which deprived their children of the opportunity of a good education.

At the breaking-up of the College at New Ross, the third member of the staff went to Waterford. Father Gelosse started a school near Dublin, with forty pupils... The Primate of Armagh asked for the aid of Father Gelosse's assistant at New Ross [Stephen Rice, the writer of this account]. His Grace, who had recently returned from Rome, was most desirous by the good education of youth to keep Ulster, now confided to him, in the service of God and of the King...He at once got a house built as a school and as a residence for three Jesuit teachers.

A.D. 1665.

46.-Schoolmasters dealt with by the Act of Uniformity.

[Irish Statutes, 17 and 18 Car. II. c. 6.].

Act of Uniformity.

5. Be it further enacted...that all...tutors of or in any colledge, hall, house of learning, or hospital...and every schoolmaster keeping any publique or private school, and every person instructing or teaching youth in any house or private family as a tutor or schoolmaster...shall subscribe the declaration...following, scilicet

I, A. B. do declare, That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatever to take arms against the King...and that I will conform to the liturgie of the Church of Ireland as it is now by law established; and I do declare that I hold that there lies no obligation upon me, or upon any other person, from the oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant...and that the same was in itself an unlawful oath.

upon pain that all...failing in or refusing such subscriptions, shall lose and forfeit...his school, and shall be utterly disabled and ipso facto deprived of the same.

6. And be it further enacted... That every schoolmaster, or other person instructing or teaching youth in any private house or familie

as a tutor or schoolmaster, be required to take the oath of allegiance and supremacie, which oath is to be administered by the ordinarie; and if any schoolmaster or other person...shall instruct or teach any youth as a tutor or schoolmaster, before license obtained from his...ordinarie of the diocess, according to the laws and statutes of this kingdom (for which he shall pay twelve pence onely) then every such schoolmaster and other...as aforesaid, shall...for the first offence, suffer three months imprisonment, and also forfeit...five pounds.

A.D. 1669-75.

47.-Protestant schoolmasters and Jesuit Schools at Dublin and at

Cashel.

[Hogan Transcripts, folio 751. Letter of Stephen Rice, S.J., to Rome, written 15 July, 1677.]

(a) Two Jesuits educated about 30 boys in Dublin. They were obliged to teach in one small room, partly through fear, and partly through poverty. When the school grew in numbers and reputation, the protestant schoolmasters grew jealous; and by their threats and complaints caused the school to be closed for a whole year.

(b) The school at Cashel was more successful and permanent. Its reputation spread through Tipperary and its neighbourhood. Several scholars came from a distance to it, and were allowed to do so by the heretic schoolmaster, on condition that none but Catholics should frequent the Jesuit school, and that they should pay the pension to him. Here a roomy house was built for schoolrooms and for boarders. The first public result of the school was a notable drama, acted for the Archbishop, Dr. William Burgat, who had just come from Rome to the see of Cashel. It was witnessed with great favour by all, even by non-Catholics.

A.D. 1670-73.

48.-The Government, Archbishop Oliver Plunket, and the Jesuit School at Drogheda.

(d)

[Hogan Transcripts, folios (a) 365, (b) 372-3, (c) The Archbishop's letters, in Italian, are signed' O377-9, 373, (9) 390-1, (†) 391.

(a) [To the Secretary of Propaganda, Rome, 26 April, 1671.] The nobility and gentry of the whole province of Ulster, excepting three, are deprived of their lands, and from being proprietors have become

tenants; they have now no means to educate their children...Catholic teachers were not at all tolerated...I invited the Jesuits into my diocese.... I built for them two schools, where about 150 boys are educated, and 25 ecclesiastics...One of the fathers instructs...the ecclesiastics...the same father teaches the rhetoricians for two hours in the morning, and two hours in the afternoon...The other Jesuit is occupied in teaching syntax and grammar...Let us aid the poor children, many of whom have been perverted by going to Protestant schools.

(b) To the Internuncio at Brussels, 22 September, 1672.]

The whole kingdom is indebted to you for the stipend procured for the Jesuits... What efforts I had to make, to sustain them! How many memorials were forwarded to the Viceroy and the Privy Council against me and against them! They cause the more annoyance to our opponents because they are at Drogheda, only four hours' journey from Dublin, where no Catholic school is allowed....But now even our opponents approach me and them, in order to have permission for their children to come to them. And indeed many Protestant boys come to them, belonging to the principal families, who afterwards assist us in defending them....The Viceroy gave me half a promise that he would not disturb them; but as the money promised by the King was not given, I found myself in difficulties...The Catholic gentry lost their possessions and estates...it is impossible for them to send their children to the Catholic kingdoms. Hence it is a great relief to them to have Catholic masters here. Before my arrival they were obliged to send their children to Protestant teachers....

(c) [To John Paul Oliva, General of the Society of Jesus; from Dublin, 22 November, 1672.]

I have three fathers in the diocese of Armagh, who by their virtue, learning, and labours, would suffice to enrich a kingdom. [Stephen Rice never weary of teaching'; Ignatius Browne, a notable preacher in the English Language'; and Father Murphy' who preaches well in Irish ']..... In the schools there are 150 boys; they are, for the greater part, children of the Catholic knights and gentlemen; and there are also about 40 children of the Protestant knights and gentry. You may imagine what envy it excites in the Protestant schoolmasters and ministers to see the Protestant children coming to the classes of the Society...The city of my diocese, where their residence is...is called Drogheda...The country around is for the most part inhabited by orthodox knights and gentlemen; and in the city there are rich merchants and artisans of good standing....

The Viceroy, my Lord Berkeley, was most friendly to me, and esteemed me much more than I deserved-et in verbo ipsius laxavi rete—... and the present Viceroy, the Earl of Essex, a wise, prudent, and moderate man, is nowise inferior to his predecessor in his kindness towards me, as also to the schools. As they have lasted these two years and four months, so we may hope that God, through the intercession of St. Ignatius, will grant them a long life....

(d) [To the Internuncio at Brussels, 8 October, 1673.]

God alone knows all that I have expended, in frequent journeys to Dublin, to reply to the memorials which Protestant ministers and teachers presented to the Viceroy against the Jesuit schools...The whole kingdom, as far as regards ecclesiastical matters, enjoys at present the greatest peace. God grant that the next Parliament may give us no annoyance.... (e) [To the Internuncio at Brussels, 12 November, 1673.]

The state of Catholic affairs in this Kingdom...is far worse now than heretofore...It is now expected that no Catholic will be allowed to live in cities...The Government here dare not moderate in any way our sentence of banishment, or give us a longer respite than the 1st of December, through dread of Parliament, which is so severe against Catholics...I shall retire to some little hut in the woods or mountains of my diocese, with a supply of candles and books...The Viceroy is very friendly towards me, as are all the Councillors of State ;...the schools which I erected gave them some annoyance, but I satisfied the more moderate amongst them by explaining that they were erected for no other purpose than to instruct the youth in the Christian doctrine and in letters, that thus they might be useful for the State, and for the service of the King; and that otherwise they would become vagrants, rogues, and highway robbers, and disturbers of the peace and social order.

(f) [To the Secretary, Propaganda, Rome, 15 December, 1673.]

Matters here have been very severe, the more so as the meeting of Parliament is at hand on the 7th of January next, so that I am in concealment...I sometimes find it difficult to get even oaten bread, and the house where I and Dr. Brennan are is of straw, and thatched in such a manner that from our beds we can see the stars....but we are resolved rather to die from hunger and cold than to abandon our flocks...

There is nothing which occasions me more grief than to see the schools which were instituted by me, now destroyed after so much toil. What will Catholic lads do, who are both numerous and full of talent? The schools continued till the close of November last; they commenced at the

beginning of July 1670, so that they lasted three years and five months. The Fathers of the Society indeed behaved well, and toiled exceedingly in them they generally had about 150 boys....

A.D. 1670.

49. Plain and Downright Counsel' to Trinity College.

[Calendar S.P., Ireland, 1669-70, p. 115, 26 April, 1670. Diurnil of the Lord Lieutenant's (John, Lord Berkeley of Stratton) doings in Dublin.']

[Tuesday the 26th [April] the University of Dublin, being introduced by the Lord Primate, came to do their duty to his Excellency. Dr. Ward made' a most eloquent oration in Latin, to which his Excellency returned a short answer in English.']

That he did not pretend to be much a scholar, and yet he would not willingly want the little learning he had.

That the pleasure he took in it made him a friend to all professors of learning.

That, by praising him, he had shewed him what he ought to be, and that he would endeavour to make them true prophets.

That the exhortation they had cunningly and desirously insinuated under the disguise of commendations, he would requite with this plain and downright counsel that they would bend their minds and studies to the most useful parts of learning that did most redound to the benefit of mankind; and that as they had concluded with a prayer so did he with a promise to give them all due encouragement.

A.D. 1680-81.

50.-Perils of a Popish Schoolmaster at Ennis.

[Hist. MSS. Comm. Ormonde MSS. (1911), April 23, 1681.]

[John Roane, Bishop of Killaloe, to the Duke of Ormonde.]

As to the first particular concerning the Popish schoolmaster at Inish [Ennis], Doctor Cargill by name, the Lord Clare spoke to me in August last that I should give way for Cargill to keep school at Inish till May next, and then he wd. be gone for France. I replied that if his Lordship